Influencer arrested after uploading Target video allegedly showing her stealing items

Marlena Velez, 22, was arrested after sharing a video of herself going shopping at Target, only for her to wear the same clothes she allegedly stole in a later video.

This article was one of Herald Lifestyle’s best-read stories of 2024.

An influencer who has hundreds of thousands of followers has been arrested after a video she posted online backfired spectacularly, landing her in cuffs.

US social media star Marlena Velez posted a “get ready with me” video on TikTok to her 349,000 followers, a popular trend where people take snapshots of what their day-to-day life is like.

But the 22-year-old made a big blunder in the video.

Police in Florida had shared a wanted photo on social media of a woman with dark hair wearing glasses, a tan shirt and matching pants leaving Target with a trolley full of stolen goods.

After police had posted the image, Velez was seen on her TikTok “get ready with me” video in the “same outfit and glasses” that she wore on the CCTV while she was allegedly scamming the store’s self-service checkout.

Marlena Velez, 22, was arrested after sharing a video of herself going shopping at Target, only for her to wear the same clothes she allegedly stole in a later video.

She was arrested and charged with theft.

Velez is accused of using false barcodes to steal 16 items valued at more than $USD500 ($850).

“Sometimes we put out an attempt to identify because the community knows a lot more people than we do. Maybe they’re you’re neighbour or you went to high school with them,” a Cape Coral police officer explained.

“We actually had one person reach out on Instagram who didn’t want to be identified, but provided Velez’s full name, date of birth and her social media handle,” the office continued.

“From there we were able to look up her social media and we even found on TikTok that she posted a video that day of herself going to Target, ‘buying’ these items and then taking them home with her.

Police said Marlena Velez allegedly stole around USD$500 worth of items from Target.

“Everything was documented. Even the outfit she wore and all of that matches with the attempt to identify photograph.”

She was arrested on November 21, less than a month after the alleged theft.

According to reports she was released from custody after paying a cash bond of USD$150.

This article was originally published on November 25, 2024.